In C

Monday, December 14, 2009 - 09:00 PM

Not too long ago, Jad was invited to contribute to In C Remixed, a compilation of remixed versions of the 1964 Terry Riley piece that quietly changed the world of classical music (and eventually pop music too). In this podcast, Jad talks to musicians Michael Lowenstern and Zoe Keating about their remixes, what they did and why. Then Jad plays Robert his own kaleidoscopic remix of In C: minimalism as seen through the lenses of fatherhood and Radiolab. For his version, Jad threw a few counting babies into the musical mix (actually, only one of the babies can count ... the one that isn’t his).

Special thanks to Amanda Aronczyk and her daughter Mina (the baby who actually counts), to Bill Ryan and the Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble, and to Silas Brown and Jennifer Munson (for their engineering expertise).

Zoe Keeting’s new album, “Into the Trees” will be available shortly. We can’t wait.

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Comments [74]

Elinor L. Rousseau
from USA

This podcast was great. I loved how they played each persons rendition of in C, and everyone's was different. Its amazing how a song so simple can be taken in so many directions, like the second which leaned more classical while the first and third had pop beats and unconventional sounds. My favorite spin of In C that they showed was the second by Zoe Keating, she talked about the simplicity and childless of the key of C, which rang true. The key of nothing, is the first we learn, so her take on the remix is most appropriate to me and I'm sure to a lot of young musicians.

This is old news, but I just can't help it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this piece. I play it over and over and over again. I've shared it with tons of people. It is just magical. I go to such a dreamy place whenever I listen to this. Jad's composition is absolutely in my Top 10 favorite songs, and it might actually be #1. Thank you for this.

This. This. THIS. I LOVE THIS. I FREAKING LOVE THIS. IM CRYING I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. MUAHAHAHAHAHA.I played this at the Chamber Music Camp of Portland. Everybody got angry at me because after everybody stopped, two cellists, the piano, a violist, and I kept playing for another half an hour. I held #21 for the ten minuets everybody played it (it is just an F#) and then for the half hour I played the last part (Bb followed by G over and over again).I currently have the sheet music hung up in my room.

Your explanation of contemporary classical music was totally ridiculous, oversimplified and really insulting, and you guys use contemporary classical music clips (much of which is "dissonant") on your show all the time. You should really know better.

Im s musician myself and I can hear Jads perfectionism. I always think of perfectionism as a handicap but sometimes it creates vivid, colorful beauty like Jads remix. Actually I think I want to try to remix "In C" myself today =)

Thanks for creating my favorite podcast(I love novelty and Radiolab is the only place to surprise my otherwise very, VERY bored mind)

This episode was awesome. I think I listened to the whole thing 3 times in a row and your song another 3 after that. Rad don't stop doing radio lab but please keep doing music. Your show makes me smile at times when nothing else seems to bring me comfort, so thank you.

Very good sounds, but I'm not really sure what you mean in this case by "remixed." That makes me think of taking the same basic sounds and putting them in different places, or adjusting the volume or overdubbing,. What exactly did people do to change this and yet keep it a version of "In C?"

Jad, you're version of In "C" was for sure, the best mix i listened to out of the three, not to say the other two were bad. When the mother says "Do you remember how to count?..." that just gives me chills. I was listening to this at work and I had to listen to it 3 time in a row AND I HATE BABIES!, but you're baby sound so cute. I hope you're baby has just as much talent as you do. Now try to remix Philip Glass's Koyaanisqatsi. The whole thing!!! LOL

Fantastic short podcast. Thank you so much! I just love it when the music stops, silence, "Do you remember how to count?" then BOOM, into the music again. Brilliant. Really. It brings tears to my eyes. Good job!

This is my favourite Short. Overall, Radiolab is the art of Radio, to me, and an absolute must - I keep a copy of every episode, like a collector. But this episode, and Jad's remix nothing short of made me gape. I don't know how you guys do it, but sometimes it's just ridiculous how awesome this program is. I love you. Period.

I just started listening to the Radiolab podcast. I greatly enjoyed the In C short. I downloaded the album from iTunes and I'm really enjoying it. Thank you.

The music seems ideally suited to being made into a smartphone application. The app would have a sound bank of various music clips in the key of C and users could create their own performances by controlling what voices played when and for how long.

I played "In C" in an ensemble in college. One of the greatest aspects of the piece is its ever-changing nature--it's never played the same way twice. The re-mix was refreshingly wonderful, a great take on Terry Riley! It's great to see the piece gain some publicity.

Just Wanted to say that Jad’s version of in C was fabulous! I love to play it while doing my daily chores. It keeps me moving on the boring tasks of a house wife without the regular begrudging attitude.

Love Jad's remix of In C. I listened to it four times straight this morning. Got me off on the right foot. Thanks! Love the moments of near-silence in the piece. The stops and starts on top of that steady rhythm which holds it all together and creates a sense of hold and release. Sort of reminds me of the drumming of Billy Kilson. Thanks again.

I know you didn't want us to feed Jad's ego, but after listening to this episode, I immediately went out to my local independent music store and bought the In C Remixed CD. It was $30 Canadian, and worth every penny (and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they even had it in stock right at Christmas).

I really love this mix! I had just listened to the numbers episode only a week before hearing this, so the significance was especially in the forefront of my thoughts as I listened to it. Seriously, Jad: don't leave the show, but DEFINITELY consider putting out more music, too!

*I should add that I didn't intend to insult Jad and Robert by implying that they are not overly concerned with professionalism. I love the fun, casual feel of Radiolab and would have it any other way.

I absolutely love the fact that Radiolab is about both science and art. Both are essential elements of life as a human being, and it's not often we see them explored in the same space. Thank you!

I can see why some people saw this piece as "self-indulgent," but I personally disagree. It would come off as unprofessional for Ira Glass to showcase his own writings, but Jad and Robert have always tried to keep Radiolab very casual. They encourage interaction from their listeners and maintain a light, mess-around attitude on the show, and professionalism has never really seemed to be one of their greatest concerns. Given that precedent, this show didn't bother me a bit.

I listened to this last night while I couldn't sleep and I was transfixed. Totally transfixed. I am always totally amazed by the mixing in RadioLab, now even more so. You guys, you guys, you guys. I love your show. Thank you.

i love the mixture of science-stories and music that you do! i have to second the notion, jad, that playing your piece in full and just a little bit of the others is totally acceptable; it's really nice to hear what you are creating since the focus of the show isn't usually about personal projects, but about other musicians, ideas, scientific theories, etc....

I actually have a piece of vinyl in my attic titled this. I didn't know the history of Terry Riley though. This explains why my musical strings are harmonically energized by listening to Radio Lab. A faithful listener.

Jad's piece reminded me of Aphex Twin's 'Richard D. James Album'. 'Richard D. James' is all about childlike wonder and a sort of horrifying transition into adulthood, which Jad's rendition of "In C" brought to mind. Every track was excellent- please do this again!

Jad, your version strongly reminded me of "Ralph's Rhapsody" by Ray Lynch. Not in a "carbon copy" way but in a "if you like this you'd like that" way. I hope you'll give it a listen, if you're not familiar with it already.

Yeah, I have to agree with those above who thought Jad's piece was too long. I'll add that combined with all the chatter about (and musical inclusion of) his new son, it was pretty self-indulgent. I kind of can't stand new parents, and this did nothing to change my mind. If anything, Zoe Keating's piece should have been played in full. I love this program and will keep listening, but let's reign in the self-indulgence.

Nice. I'm happy to have discovered in C.But really, the 2 first pieces are much nicer (3 if you include the original)Jad's one was a bit long.This podcast was nice, and a bit different, but I much prefer the regular radiolab podcasts.In fact, at the start, I thought they were going to link the 2 logarithms from the previous podcast: the one from the children counting (and amazon people), with the Benford's law logarithm.

All of the pieces were great, and Jad, I thank you for sharing your piece. I heartily disagree with one of the commenters above.... this is your podcast, after all, and Radiolab, as much as it is about the contributors, is also about Jad and Robert... they (and their producers) are the heart and soul of the program, and I love it when we hear about things they've done or have worked on in the podcasts, whether its a musical piece from Jad or one of Robert's great interviews at the Y. Zoe's piece was excellent... but Jad, your piece was equally brilliant and a wonderful listen. Keep it up.

Long time fan of Radio Lab and I anxiously await each new podcast ever since getting connected to it. When I saw the title of this short "In C" I thought it sounded a little familiar - and I don't follow classical music trends very closely - I leave that to my brother-in-law, quite the musical guru in our family.

So, I download it, and about two minutes in realize that it sounded familiar because it was Grand Valley State that Jad was playing with. How cool - I sent off a message to my brother-in-law congratulating him on the mention of the group on Radio Lab. Kinda cool to hear a group he was connected with on my Radio Lab (is it wrong I think of Radio Lab as "mine"?)

Then, at the end, Jad actually gives some shouts TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW!!! That just threw me over the edge. Congrats to Bill for the honor, and thanks to Jad and Radio Lab for sharing the story - you have no idea how cool it was to hear it...really.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never been a fan of any sort of remix. I dunno... I feel like the original composer's artistic vision is always lost compromised for some artistic vision of another individual. It's not that either individual did anything wrong; it's just that the mix of visions really doesn't make the piece very strong.

That's just me.

I think all the pieces sounded nice; they just didn't sound... hm... coherent.

jad, you should have only played an excerpt and then linked to the full version. if anyone should have had the time given for the full piece it should have been for ZinC.

maybe keep your personal art projects going on your own site, or start a new show, etc. it would be a mistake to continue to use radiolab as a venue for your own non-radiolab work.

the show is FANTASTIC and you are allowed to do anything, but imagine ira glass playing a bit of two other artist's writings and then take the rest of the show to read his own -- it just wouldn't work on so many levels -- especially if one knows glass' work on TAL, where he's almost always humble and lets the content shine.

keep up the great work and keep making non-radiolab music and projects.

Amazing work, Jad. Radiolab never fails to inform and entertain all at the same time. I've always been a fan of electronic and ambient music but I have never heard of "In C". Thanks for putting a spotlight on this fascinating piece.